And lo, a terrible plague befell the land [Image assistance fromCJ Melendez] We’ve yet to get a straight answer from Nintendo about the Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, and Marth Amiibo’s collective status on the endangered toy species list. First wehear they are discontinued, then we hear thatno Amiibos have been discontinued, then we hear thatthey’re “likely” gone. If you’ve gotAmiibo on the brain, it’s enough to make you lose your marbles, or if you’ve been re-branded by Nintendo, your Amiibarbles....

Bayonetta included Afterover a year of mindgames, it appears as if thedawn ofAnarchy Reignsis finally upon us. In addition to launching at a respectable $30, it’ll also have a few pre-order content exclusives. For pre-ordering the game, you get two extra modes: Dog Fight (an aerial battle mode) and Mad Survival (Horde mode), as well as one other huge bonus —Bayonettaas a playable character. Dog Fight sounds like a minor distraction involving helicopters and guns, but Mad Survival sounds like a required experience — I can’t get enough of coop gametypes....

I had the opportunity to get an early look atAstronaut: The Bestahead of its August 15 release. Admittedly, I knew very little before jumping in. All I had seen is this Launch Announcement Trailer that had silly 2D graphics that reminded me ofHomestar Runner. This is also studio Universal Happymaker’s first title, so I didn’t have much history to rely on. But then on the Universal Happymaker YouTube channel, I saw videos showing offAstronaut: The Bestgoing back as far as six years....

Rejoice! Rejoice, Blizzard fans! Aftertaking a breakin 2012, BlizzCon is back on this year, and taking place from November 8 to November 9 at the Anaheim Convention Center down in Anaheim, California. That’s about all the real info we’re getting for now, as more details will be announced as the show draws closer. At the very least, you can expect things like hands-on time with the latest Blizzard games, eSports stuff, panels, tournaments, contests, merchandise, and more....

I choose you! Just ahead of the avalanche of E3 news, Japan’s Pokémon Centerhas revealedthat Red fromPokémonwill be receiving the figma treatment. Currently there is not a lot of information about what the figma comes with in terms of hands, faces, and accessories. However, the reveal does list that Red will be coming with the three starter Pokémon from the first generation of games: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Pikachu will also be available as an accessory, but only for those who pre-order....

Mercenaries seems like the most intriguing… There is no discernible through line connecting all of December’s Games with Gold. It’s a scattershot of old and new, all of it from completely different genres. Puzzle, platformer, fantasy RPG, and over-the-top shooter. I guess that means there’s a good chance most people will find something that suits their tastes. Microsoft has told us which titles make up December’s Games with Gold stocking stuffers....

Electronic Arts has announced that it will be twisting the knife intothe beleaguered Zyngaby taking it to court — suing the trouble company over its new social game,The Ville. EA alleges thatThe Villeis a rip-off ofThe Sims Social.Man, we knew EA wasgunning for Zynga, but they brought out the cannons now. “The core legal issue is our belief that Zynga infringed copyrights to our game,The Sims Social,”wrote EA.“In legal terms, our claim is that Zynga copied the original and distinctive expressive elements ofThe Sims Socialin a clear violation of the U....

Polytron and Finji reveal support for musical indie game Panoramical A unique partnership was unveiled today at the Los Angeles-based Horizon conference, an E3 alternative event hosted by Venus Patrol andthe LA Museum of Contemporary Art. Panoramicalis described as “anthology of interactive musical landscapes coming soon to home computers,” that allows players to experience “a series of synaesthetic alien vistas like an ambient disco-god controlling your own tiny universe.” The project comes from indie developerFernando RamalloandDavid Kanaga, the composer behindProteusandDyad, in collaboration withFezteam Polytron and Finji,Canabaltcreator Adam Saltsman’s new studio....

Thefirst PlayStation State of Play for 2024ended with a bit of a surprise. State of Play will return just one week from now on February 6 with an “extensive look” atFinal Fantasy 7: Rebirth. While we don’t know what exactly we’ll get a look at, today’s State of Play did say Square Enix will be sharing new gameplay details along with exciting news we “won’t want to miss”. Demo, please?...

Making a break for new lands! For nearly a decade,Border Breakhas been a staple of Japanese arcades. A large-scale 10 vs. 10 team battle game, players are able to create and customise their own units by picking specific classes of mecha they will use as well as unlocking more powerful weapons and cosmetics by spending in-game currency earned through playing. The game has gone through a number of updates in its nine-year lifespan and has even had model kits of the mecha and figures of the female navigator characters to purchase, but the game itself has never reached out beyond the arcade (save for a mobile game in 2014) until now....

Update 1.07 also lets you dismantle player vehicles Death Stranding‘s latest update addresses a few common complaints that players had with the trekking adventure game. Most notably, you can bump up that tiny text. The option is available from the Title Menu–look under Options, then Language Settings, and change the text size to “Large.” If you’ve struggled to read your mail, the interview transcripts, or identify HUD elements, you’ll want to make this change....

Expect games and creators on stage at E3, not middle managers Former Microsoft Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencerwas named head of Xboxthis week and here he is chatting with Xbox Live’s Larry Hryb about the new gig. Spencer says his role will be “to drive the product vision for what Xbox is” and he’s open to feedback. “I know a lot of times people give nods to the different forums out there, the different communities of people,” he remarked....

The Upheaval only made the weapon durability issue worse One of the more controversial parts ofBreath of the Wildwas, and always will be, its weapon durability system. And this controversy only deepened inTears of the Kingdom,as many of the weapons in the game are now decayed and dirty, far from the shiny, pristine swords from the previous game. Thankfully, there are a couple of ways to help with this issue....